When I was working on my masters degree in Children’s Literature, one of the courses focused on Poetry. One of my sections focused on teaching poetry writing to children. I’ve drawn on that experience for this post.
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Reading and writing of poetry can go hand-in-hand. Teachers need to provide a classroom atmosphere which is conducive to writing. Teachers also need to provide activities which encourage students to experiment with a variety of poetry types.
Classroom Atmosphere for Teaching Poetry Writing
“Teaching poetry is the best way […] to engage and celebrate all students — not just as writers, but as valued members of the classroom community” (Routman, 26). In order for students to freely share thoughts and ideas, the atmosphere in the classroom needs to be friendly and non-threatening. Students “should feel free to reveal emotions and to make judgments” (Rosenblatt, 67). If students have a reason to fear unkind criticism, either from the teacher or fellow students, it will be harder for them to share their poetry. In some cases they may even resist writing it.
Create a Poetry-Friendly Classroom
Teachers need to create a poetry-friendly classroom. Doing so does require some time on the part of the teacher, but if students gain a love for poetry, it will be time well-spent.
- Providing poetry books in the classroom library gives students more opportunities to read and enjoy poetry on their own. It also provides models for student writing.
- Posters can be made of favorite poems. Teacher and students can illustrate their favorites and display them in the classroom.
- By having a “Poem of the Day” or “Poem of the Week” teachers convey to students the importance of poetry.
- A weekly sharing time gives students (and teachers) a chance to share poems they have found or written (More Poetry, 12).
- When teachers write poems of their own and share them with students, students may be encouraged to write and share poetry as well.
Accepting Classroom Atmosphere
Teachers need to provide an accepting atmosphere in the classroom. They also need to do what they can to make their classroom poetry-friendly. Once these are accomplished, teachers can watch their students develop a love for poetry as they do poetry activities.
Poetry Activities for Teaching Poetry Writing
Not only is the classroom atmosphere important, how the teacher approaches poetry is also important. “The success of any assignment depends upon how one goes about presenting it and more generally how one approaches the whole subject of teaching children to write” (Koch, 25). If teachers approach poetry and writing as something fun and exciting, students are more likely to accept it as such.
List Poem
“The list poem is an excellent way to introduce children […] to the writing of poetry” (Fagin, 1). In a List Poem students make a list of items (in phrases or sentences) which relate to the topic of the poem. Each item provides a perfect line break. The lines can be moved around during revision until the student finds the best sequence. A variation of this would be a School Poem in which each student in the school writes one line. One class or group of students arranges the lines into the best sequence.
Formula Poems
Formula Poems also provide a good introduction to poetry writing. “Elementary students can successfully write poetry using poetic formulas” (Tompkins, 169). There are a wide variety of formulas poetry writers can follow.
- In an I Wish poem, each line begins with “I Wish” and the poet describes his/her wishes.
- Poets choose a color to begin each line in a Color Poem. Each line begins with the same color.
- For a Five Senses Poem, the author picks a topic and describes it in five lines — one for each of the senses.
- Some research may be necessary for an If I Were poem. The poet chooses something and describes what it would be like if he/she was that thing.
- Lie Poems allow students to tell lies without getting into trouble — nothing in the Lie Poem is true.
- A good exercise for teaching prepositions is the Preposition Poem; each line must begin with a preposition.
- Acrostic Poems provide minimal structure. Student write a word vertically. Each line has something to do with that word and starts with a letter of the word.
- A variation of a formula poem is giving students a list of words (spelling words perhaps) to work with in creating a poem.
- Haiku and other syllable- or word-count poems also provide formulas for writing poems.
- Finally, strict rhyming patterns can also fit into the category of formula poems. These can be challenging or even frustrating for the beginning poet and should be saved until students have more experience.
Students should be exposed to as many different formulas as possible. They also need the time and freedom to experiment with them.
Free Verse
Not all poems rhyme and “rhyme should never be imposed as a criterion for acceptable poetry” (Tompkins, 169). When writing poetry students need to let the words and ideas flow. “The effort of finding rhymes stops the free-flow of their feelings and associations” (Koch, 8). Free Verse encourages the free flow and should be presented along with the formula poems.
Poetry writing can be fun. Teachers need to have an approach to poetry writing that shows they think it is fun. Formulas provide students with some guidance in their poetry writing, but free verse gives total freedom to the student poet. Both should be seen as viable options.
Tips for Success when Teaching Poetry Writing
Enjoyment of Poetry
The thing that will first and foremost ensure success is enjoyment. “If poetry is a pleasure, the students will want to write it” (Morice,1). It can’t be said often enough, poetry must be enjoyable whether in its reading or its writing. “Enjoyment should remain the emphasis in the writing of poetry, [the same is] true with the reading of poetry” (Tiedt, 109).
Be Intentional with Poetry
Poetry moments must be intentional. If left unplanned, they may never happen. “We must plan experiences that seem natural and desirable” (Tiedt, 109). Have a specific time of day for poetry reading. Set aside time each week (or more often) for poetry writing. Provide poetry books for students to look at.
Not Just Another Assignment
If poetry is just another assignment to complete at home it may be viewed as drudgery. If it is an in-school activity it is “a welcome relief from math, spelling, and other required subjects” (Koch, 28). When written in class, students can get instant feedback and encouragement from the teacher and peers, while the excitement or questions are still fresh.
Work with the students – create your own poetry
Paul Janeczko repeats a great tip in several of his books. It is best to work on poetry writing with the students. At the very least you need to do the assignment ahead of the students so that you are aware of the process they must go through (2000, 5). If you work on it in class with them “you can show them how you work through the writing process” (1998, 7). You really can’t get much more poetry-friendly than teacher and student working on the same poetry writing activity.
Publish Student Work
Publication of student poetry also contributes to success. After receiving parental permission, you can publish student poems through school newsletters or websites. You could also collect student poetry into an anthology. Other means of publication could be posting poems where others can read them or reading them aloud in class.
If students enjoy the poetry writing process then the lesson has been successful. Teachers need to do what they can to make the experience enjoyable. Plan regular in-school poetry experiences and participate with your students. Make sure sharing is part of the activity as well.
All students can enjoy and succeed at writing poetry. Teachers can make sure this happens. The attitude and participation of teachers and the activities they choose can encourage student enjoyment and success.
Works Cited
Fagin, Larry. The List Poem: A Guide to Teaching and Writing Catalog Verse. New York: Teachers and Writers Collaborative, 2000.
Janeczko, Paul B. Teaching 10 Fabulous Forms of Poetry. New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 2000.
Koch, Kenneth. Wishes, Lies, and Dreams: Teaching Children to Write Poetry. New York: Harper Perennial, 1970, 1999.
More Poetry. Washington, DC: TV-Turnoff Network, 2001.
Morice, Dave. The Adventures of Dr. Alphabet: 104 Unusual Ways to Write Poetry in the Classroom and Community. New York: Teachers and Writers Collaborative, 1995.
Rosenblatt, Louise M. Literature as Exploration. New York: Modern Language Association of America, 1995.
Routman, Regie. “Everyone succeeds with poetry writing.” Instructor August 2001: 26-30.
Tiedt, Iris McClellan. Tiger Lilies, Toadstools, and Thunderbolts: Engaging K-8 students with poetry. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2002.
Tompkins, Gail E. “Poetic Writing.” Teaching Writing: Balancing Process and Product. Columbus: Merrill Publishing, Co., 1990. pp 153-197
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